Making PIC™ based Laboratory Instruments and Controllers - $49.95

by Harprit Singh Sandhu

“Making PIC™ based Laboratory Instruments and Controllers” is intended as a tutorial for beginning Engineering College students and Hobbyists interested in the more practical uses of microcontrollers. Using PICBASIC PRO Compiler examples written for the LAB-X1 and PIC16F877A MCU, the book explains the fundamental concepts applicable to the design and fabrication of instruments and controllers that use microcontrollers as their logic engines. The book focuses on mastering the eight basic concepts that need to be understood to undertake the creation of instruments and controllers.

The focus of this tutorial is the fabrication of simple instruments like metronomes and thermostats. This leads to the understanding of the eight basic concepts that need to be understood and then mastered to create most of the simple instruments needed in the college laboratory or on the hobbyist's workbench. Extensive discussions of sensors and the techniques used to interface them to microcontrollers are used to introduce the user to the hands-on fabrications covered in the book. All the explanations are in simple English and are made without resorting to any complicated formulas and theoretical considerations.

The tutorial is divided into two parts. The first part introduces the reader to the PIC16F877A in some detail. A LAB-X1 Experimenter Board along with the PICBASIC PRO Compiler can be used with the book discussions to gain familiarity with the logic engines used in the LAB-X1. Though it is not strictly necessary that the reader have a LAB-X1, having the board does make it much easier for a novice to create instruments more rapidly. The second part of the books first covers of the use of sensors and their interfacing to the instruments. It then goes on to the detailed design of the instruments that needs to be undertaken to understand what has to be done. There are eight basic concepts that need to be understood and each one is covered in detail.

For the advanced user, this tutorial is a great companion to the PICBASIC PRO Compiler and LAB-X1 Experimenter Board. If you're looking for a complete package, purchase this book and the Developer's Bundle, which includes PBP, LAB-X1, melabs Programmer, and the 16F877A.

For those not having a fast internet connection, the included CD ROM provides copies of all the data sheets and related information needed. These include listing of all the sample programs in the manual, a free demo compiler and more. Short book reviews are included for those interest in further learning.